, 1887-01-01

of the great ocean steamers which turned
their prows to the east during the past seven
days, and of the fleet which steams down the
bay this morning. 1t is Illustrated with
bright faces and will find its sequel in the hap
Ply meetings in old homes in the Old World,
when sons, brothers and lovers, all the way
from America, greet the stay-at-homes under
the mistletoe or. Join the circle around the
blazing yule log. In brief, is the return of
those who, after ~sojourns of longer or shorter
periods in this the land of their adoption, are
drawn back to their mother countries to
spend the holidays.
Travel to Europe always increases at this
season, but this year it is reported as being
heavier than usual. Not only is this the case
in the cabin, but in the steerage as well, the
cut in the rates for this class OF ocean trans
portation having tempted many who are tread
ing the lower rounds Of Fortunes ladder to
return to their old homes for the Christmas
time, to fill the stockings of the children with
strange American toys, and the minds of the
elders with the story of their successes in the
new land. Five hundred and forty-two
persons sailed in the steerage of Fulda, We'd
nesday last, and a proportionate number IN
the vessels of the other German lines.
To-day the Bolivia sails for Glasgow, the
Egypt for Liverpool, the Ems for Bremen,
the Holland for London, the La Gascogne for
Havre, the Polaria for Hamburg, the Servia
for Liverpool, the Suevia for Hamburg, and
the Westernland for Antwerp, and on each of
these were many whose sunny smiles and
springy gait betrayed the pleasant GRAND
upon which they were bound, even had it not
been written in the multitudinous boxes and
bundles in excess of legitimate luggage.
The returning exile is easily detected by
khn rn o1orly auo,, if bo docs not IN tho
OVERLOOKING fitness of his heart take the lat
ter into his confidence and unfold the pro-
gramme of the good time he proposes to have.
His enthusiasm when he sees his name clear
~ written in the cabin register would put to
the blush that of the most inland of ordinary
tourists. Then the two weeks before the
sailing day. When parcels are left at his
lodgings; what a furnishing up of clothing
and inspecting Of linen. His landlady catch
es the infection and begins to feel, as she an
swers the constantly jingling bell, as if she,
too, were going to cross the ocean, to rumble
in the cars to the familiar station, to trudge
along the well-remembered lane and into the
dear old house to be greeted with cries Of well
come and surprise. They are day dreams
which have haunted the minds of many hap
py people during the past fortnight and led
them to. brave the discomforts of a winter
voyage in search of their realization.
England seems to have secured the greatest
number of these holiday seekers, the Cunard
and White Star lines reporting unusually
heavy cabin lists. The eight little island
has not monopolized all the yearning ones,
as is proved by the long lists on the French
and German steamers. A feature of the ira
vel at this season on the latter vessels is the
large number of Italians bound for their
homes in Italy and that merry Christmas"
for which they have boarded for a year or
more.-The World.